Better hotel rates? Always ask for more

Sites like Wotif, lastminute, Agoda and Hotels.com are the battlefields where accommodation providers fight for business with increasingly reduced room rates and more and more add-ons. It’s easy. Just log on and compare thousands of deals, simply by searching the destination and specifying dates.

Bookings can then be made directly through the site, meaning everything is organised from the comfort of your living room, but how can you be sure that you got the best deal?

YMM compared the deals available on a range of online booking sites and by going direct to the hotel and discovered that no one site consistently provides the best deals. Some hotel chains are also willing to bend on advertised rates when dealt with directly, especially if they are having trouble filling rooms at the time. Getting the biggest bargains is all about being an avid researcher and always being willing to ask for more.

YMM investigates how to get the best deals when booking hotel rooms in Australia and overseas.

Published September 2011

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